He tries to smile, but there’s strain there—fatigue—and the weight of everything pressing down.
He’s had a brutal day.
And instead of adding to it, I decide to remind him of something steady.
Me.
I stand and step in front of him. His gaze lifts as I move between his knees and settle onto his lap. His hands instinctively come to my back.
“You know you’re one of the strongest men I’ve ever met?” I tell him.
“I don’t always feel like it.”
I cup his face, forcing him to look at me. “You’re levelheaded, loyal, compassionate, and when it comes to the women you love, you go a little overboard. But that’s because you care. You love with everything you have, and that’s rare.”
His mouth curves slightly.
“Growing up around women…” he says quietly, “… makes you appreciate them. Makes you appreciate you.”
“Don’t let Shane or Jett get inside your head. Don’t let them steer your life. This isus. No one else gets a vote. Don’t let the past run your future.”
His eyes soften, something settling in them. “I know I can be overbearing,” he admits.
“You can,” I tease gently. “But we’re big girls. We can handle ourselves. And I’m yours, Kaden Mercury.”
I lean in and kiss him, and he kisses me back, slow at first, then deeper.
And for a moment, the fear of Monday fades.
My tongue slides into his open mouth, dancing, caressing, gliding effortlessly in a precise rhythm as I grind my pussy down onto his cock. His hands tighten into the muscles of my back, one sliding down toward my ass, the other up into my hair.
The kiss deepens, and I feel it, a slow, warm flicker of heat building between my legs that I haven’t felt in weeks. Since the coma, the urge has been muted. Dulled. I’vewantedit, craved the closeness, but that primal need to tear Mercs’ clothes off hasn’t burned the way it used to.
And it isn’t him.
One look at this man still turns my knees to liquid.
It’s all me.
But right now, kissing him like this, grinding down on him, feeling him harden beneath me, I’m coming back to life. I feel likemyselfagain. I couldn’t be happier in this moment, and I kiss him harder, letting him knowexactlywhere I want this to go.
My hands pull from his hair and drop to the hem of my tunic. I yank it up and over my head, breaking us apart for just a second. His eyes rake over me, dark and hooded, while I reach down and strip off my shoestring singlet top, leaving me in my bra and harem pants. His rough hands land on my skin, and I bite my bottom lip, loving the way they feel, the weight of them, the warmth.
He takes a slow breath and leans in, lips finding my collarbone. I reach behind myself, undo my bra without hesitation, and fling it somewhere behind me. His mouth travels lower, licking, nipping, before he draws my nipple between his lips. His teeth graze the bud, and he sucks hard. My back arches off his chest, a moan slipping free before I can catch it. My sex drive might be quieter than before, but the moment he touches me, it sparks right back up. Every nerve ending wakes.
I’m so damn grateful for that right now.
He lets my nipple free with a soft pop and brings his face up to mine, fingers taking over, rolling, pinching, working the perfect pressure. “What happened to us not doing anything under Gran’s roof?” he asks, his lips grazing my neck.
I shrug, leaning into him. “If we’re going to be here for two months, I need to get over that.Right?”
He chuckles, his mouth moving to the other side of my neck, teeth grazing along my skin. “Damn right. But you never asked the doctor whether sex was okay.”
I groan and press down harder onto him, feeling him shift beneath me with a sharp inhale. He groans too, low, frustrated, and wanting, his hands dropping to my ass. Then he lifts me,spinning us around, and I barely have time to grip him before he flings me down onto the bed and settles between my legs. He leans in close enough that his breath tickles my nose.
“Do youreallywant to stop right now?” My voice comes out breathless. “I’m fine, Kaden.Please.Fuck me.”
He groans, half satisfaction, half resignation, grinding into my aching pussy. His hands find my back, pulling me in as he leans down and presses a brief, firm kiss to my lips, then pulls back to kneel upright. “Fine. But we do this my way.No arguments.”His voice drops to a low, commanding tone. “Now turn over.”
